BANGOR TOWNSHIP, MI - With Christmas music playing in the background, the Dispo marijuana dispensary on Wednesday, Nov. 28, sold the first state-regulated medical marijuana product in the mid-Michigan area.

The business is located at 3843 N. Euclid in Bay County's Bangor Township.

"I just wanted to take a moment to express our gratitude to the people of Bangor Township and Bay County," said Emmanuel Yousif, the manager at Dispo, a state-licensed dispensary.

"Today, because of them and the forward-thinking, progressive citizens of our state and this county, it is my privilege and a great honor to be the first mid-Michigan licensed provision center to sell the first fully-licensed and tested legal medical cannabis in Bay County," he said.

While many stores and dispensaries are selling medical marijuana, Dispo says it is the first to sell state-licensed marijuana in the mid-Michigan region.

Vincent Pesce was the first to buy the product at Dispo. While he was there, he bought some of their old inventory, in addition to their new, state-licensed cannabis.

"I bought an ounce of something they're finishing out on, it was really good looking," he joked. "What a day. I've had my card for over a year and a half I come here all the time. This place has always got a good price and selection."

He added that he was happy that the statewide recreational marijuana measure passed in November as well.

Open since March, Dispo got its state license roughly a month ago. Yousif said they are excited to start selling the new, state-regulated product.

"Today is the first mid-Michigan licensed flower sale, we actually (also) have licensed edibles, cartridges from High Life Farms." he said.

The company is getting product from VB Chesaning, which was granted a license in July of this year.

Dispo is still strictly for medical sale for now. Despite the recreational marijuana ballot proposal in November, they won't be able to sell recreational marijuana for now.

"They (Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs) actually told us shops that are medical right now that have their license will be grandfathered in," Yousif said.

Yousif said their goal is to get rid of all their unlicensed marijuana product, which they have until the end of the month to get rid of.

"With the new product coming from a new state-licensed vendor, that is the only product they want us to keep in shop," he said.

Yousif said the product sold under state license will be a more limited supply, but that means it's tested and of a higher quality, unlike the unlicensed product which can have more uncertainty to its quality.

He is excited for what market opportunities will bring with the new industry, like the fact that they could soon be able to home deliver marijuana to customers. He joked that they might even have Black Friday deals in the future.